Who is killing San Francisco Neighborhoods and why?
By Sebraleaves
A used furniture store formerly graced this corner of 18th and Mission. No traffic and not many pedestrians either. Is this the future of Valencia?
I am concerned about the negative effects all these street changes are having on the neighborhoods. SFMTA policies and street reconfigurations are turning neighborhoods into battle zones, turning neighbor against neighbor and removing the trust and harmony among citizens when they remove parking.
It is becoming rather obvious to most of us that when SFMTA introduced red lanes, removed parking and established forced and no turn zones they killed the businesses that relied on parking to survive. Take a look at Mission Street for an example of a street they killed. They turned a thriving merchant corridor into a ghost town. Next came the evictions, tents and criminals who prey on the vulnerable people living on the streets. This pattern is being repeated all over San Francisco.
If you want to see the sum total of insanity and corruption unfolding on the streets of San Francisco, just go to Valencia. They are on their way to becoming the next Mission Street. Who expects to benefit from the destruction of our neighborhoods? Is this just a cruel game? If it is, so far there are no winners.
A Huge Bike-Lane Test in SF Is About to Start. Allies and Foes Already Want Something Better.
This article by Kristi Coale illustrates quite clearly what happens when a rogue agency takes over and ignores the wisdom of the public. My comments below may be applied to most of the public street designs that ignore human nature and rely on “re-educating” the public by posting meaningless signage. The whole concept of “re-educating” smacks of autocratic rule that tis eh antithesis of Democracy as we know it.
Kristi uncovered information about the backroom deals that got us into one of the least appreciated bike projects in San Francisco. The project it appears was formulated by a small group of people without the knowledge or input of the public. Once it was finalized the SFMTA Board approved it, even though it was objected to by the majority of the public, including the cyclists.
Not sure what Tumlin is saying here, but it sure sounds like he disapproves of what he sees now. I would hate to be in his shoes. He had better luck dealing with the slow streets because at least he could figure out how to explain their purpose to the public. This calamity on Valencia seems to leave him almost speechless. After taking part in a ride to inspect the project’s progress he is quoted as saying, “I hope to God that three years from now this is not the design.”
One problem the Mannys of the world and their friends have, is that they fail to take into account human nature. Most people want their lives to be simple and flow easily without a lot of stress and constant change. They object to obstacles that suddenly appear out of no where.
Placing confusing signage on a street is a waste of time. Not many people driving by are going to spend time reading signs. This goes for cars and bikes. Bikers will follow other bikers and cars will follow other cars. No one will read the signs and no one will try to understand a complicated pathway. Only simple rules of the road will be followed and there is nothing simple about the Valencia quick-build, bike lane project.
